Page 50 of Sweet Prison

“Mm-hmm. I’d askwhy, but I don’t really care. I assume she’s a bit perplexed over your decision to come with me?”

“Very. She questioned me about it.”

“And what did you say?”

I stare into my carton of food as if it holds the answer I need. Should I tell him the truth? That I’m in love with him and I want to be as close to him as possible. Even knowing these feelingsare one-sided. No, I can’t. I don’t want him to think of me as pathetic. It’s enough that it’s how I see myself.

I push the food away and meet his eyes. “I told her that my life is my own and I don’t owe an explanation to anyone.”

That’s not actually true. I simply said I had my reasons and I’d explain everything when we meet face-to-face. There’s no point in lying to her any longer. I want to come clean, yet I need to do it when we’re alone. I miss when I could tell Nera anything.

“Ah. Then it was you who must have riled her up. Now it makes sense.” Massimo smirks.

“What do you mean?”

He takes out his phone and slides it across the table toward me. “Have a look at the email Salvo forwarded to me this morning. It’s Nera’s goodbye message to him and the other capos.”

I open the app and quickly locate the email he mentioned. It’s the latest in his inbox. There isn’t much in terms of the message content, barely two paragraphs of text. Once I’m done reading, I can’t decide if I should laugh or be horrified. Not only had my sister referred to the high-ranking Family members as whiny asshats, but she also told them to smarten up and follow the orders of their true leader. She declared her overwhelming excitement about passing the reins over to Massimo and proclaimed that it was actually he who had made every decision in the last two decades while the rest of them sat on their asses and got rich. With that, she expressed her deepest wish to never see their ugly mugs again and signed off with:Fuck you all! Nera Mazur.

I shake my head. As shocking as her message is, I’ve never been prouder of my sister. “Well, she was definitely fed up with all the crap they kept giving her. Especially Brio. What was thereaction after the bomb she dropped? Specifically, about you ruling from the shadows?”

“My phone started going off at six o’clock this morning. It’s hardly stopped since.”

“Oh, that’s what it must have been. I think I heard it. Were you passing by my bedroom door when they called?”

Massimo’s eyes dart away, and he peers intently at something that caught his attention out in the hall. “Yeah. I was… checking the interior access points.”

“Are you still having trouble sleeping?”

He looks at me then, his eyes boring into mine. “Nope. Not anymore.”

Chapter 16

“No. The decision has been made, and I’m not changing my mind.” I squeeze the phone between my shoulder and my ear and reach for the plate of prosciutto. “The men stay put. It’s not up for discussion, Salvo.”

The pan sizzles as I drop the slices of Italian ham over the egg mixture. An omelet is the only dish I know how to make, but I’m not letting any fucking stranger come near Zahara’s food. Once Peppe gets here, I’ll tell him that he’s in charge of the kitchen from now on. I’m sure he will be thrilled with his new duty. I just don’t trust any of the staff. He better know how to cook or we might have a problem.

“You can’t give orders before the meeting with the Council, Massimo.”

“No shit?” I grab a plate out of the cupboard. “Well, in that case, feel free to come over and tell them to leave.”

A long exasperated sigh comes from the other end of the line. “You know they won’t.”

Damn right, they won’t.

“I’m busy, Salvo. We’ll discuss all of your concerns when you come by this evening. Now, any luck locating my favorite member of the justice system?”

“As I understand, Judge Collins is vacationing at his cabin somewhere in Vermont. He acquired it last Friday and couldn’t wait to get away.”

“The same day I got released? What a coincidence.”

“I’ve spoken to him on several occasions, Massimo. He was worried that if he took it easy on you, people might suspect his association with us. There wasn’t any foul play on his part, no one bribed him. He was just doing his job.”

Yeah. The epitome of righteousness, that one. He had no objection to reaching out to Nuncio and hiding behind Cosa Nostra when Irish loan sharks were breathing down his neck.

“Call me as soon as you have his exact location, or if he returns to Boston in the meantime.” I disconnect the call and throw the phone on the counter, then carry the plate over to the small breakfast table by the window. As I’m heading over to grab cutlery and a glass of juice, the kitchen door swooshes open.

“Mr. Spada! Oh, I’m so sorry.” A maid dashes into the room and turns toward the table. “Please, let me help you set up—”

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